Race to halt strike

Ken Livingstone was today under intense pressure to persuade union leaders to call off their 24-hour Tube strike, planned for polling day next Thursday.

Amid criticism that he had done "too little too late", the Mayor was engaged in desperate efforts to get a deal with the RMT union or postpone the date of the stoppage that will cripple the capital.

It emerged today that the strike will begin next Wednesday evening to cause maximum disruption for passengers.

The RMT has timed the stoppage to hit services over two days - but with only one day's loss of pay for striking signallers, station staff and some train drivers.

The decision to hold the strike on the same day as the mayoral and Euro elections is being seen as a direct snub to Mr Livingstone because his promise last year for a four-year Tube pay deal has failed to materialise.

The action directly threatens the re-election of the Mayor as the disruption will inevitably reduce turnout at the polls, with fewer people making it home in time to vote. With Labour desperate for a big turnout by its own supporters, party strategists are furious that the strike will jeopardise their chances.

Many RMT hardliners are privately resentful at the Mayor for rejoining Labour following his spell of exile, but party chiefs are themselves upset that Mr Livingstone has not done more to get a grip on worsening industrial relations.

Tory Steve Norris and Liberal Democrat Simon Hughes both blamed Mr Livingstone's "cosy" relationship with RMT leader Bob Crow for the failure to get tough with the union.

Mr Norris said: "Londoners who are frustrated and unable to travel that day will know where to put their crosses."

London's business chiefs accused the union of "living in the Jurassic era".

Colin Stanbridge, chief executive of the capital's Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that "beaming television pictures around the world of large parts of the Tube network at a standstill" would seriously harm London's chances of hosting the 2012 Olympic games.

Mr Livingstone has ordered Tube bosses to hold urgent meetings with union leaders in a bid to avert the action. He said last night he would do " everything I can" to bring the dispute to a halt.

But speaking during the recording of a mayoral debate for ITV's London Tonight, to be screened this evening, he ruled out a no-strike agreement urged by his critics. "The reality is the RMT are not going to sign up to a no-strike agreement and I don't have the legal power to impose one," he said. "It's difficult when there is a culture of industrial action, and being at loggerheads with management, to break that. We weren't going to break that in one year but I do think we will break it." The stoppage is timed to last for 24 hours from 9pm on Wednesday. But services will stop running or stations will be closed earlier and will stay shut through Thursday.

Staff belonging to other unions - including Aslef, which represents the majority of train drivers - may refuse to cross picket lines, which would add to the disruption.

Despite only RMT members taking part in the strike, up to 70 per cent of services across the network, used by three million people a day, could be lost.

The RMT is protesting over pay and working conditions. The union has turned down a three per cent offer and is demanding "substantial" increases of up to 16 per cent combined with a 32-hour, four-day week.

LU today issued a fresh appeal to the RMT to return to the negotiating table and call off the strike.

But Mr Crow warned there remained a distinct possibility of combined Tube and mainline rail strikes if the talks broke down. He said: "We have the ability to call synchronised action if need be."